Fake Audemars Piguet presents its new models at the beginning of each year. The manufacturer from Le Locle in Switzerland is famous above all for the iconic Royal Oak – but it has a lot more to offer. Audemars Piquet currently produces four different model series, and three of them are closely related to the Royal Oak. First of all, there is of course the “classic” Royal Oak, then the Royal Oak Offshore collection and last but not least the Royal Oak Concept series. In addition, AP also has the extensive Code 11.59 collection on offer. This year, all four collections have been expanded: the range extends from “normal” watches to highly complex high-end models. We present some of Audemars Piguet’s 2023 highlights.
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59: the new models
The Code 11.59 collection from Audemars Piguet was first presented in 2019 and was immediately one of the most intensively discussed watch series on the market. The Code 11.59 collection initially received some criticism, but over time some absolutely spectacular watches were added. This year, Audemars Piguet gave us some sensational new models, with the most complex AP watch ever as a special highlight. Here are the new additions to the Code 11.59 collection for 2023:
Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Ultra-Complication Universelle (RD#4)
We’ll start with a real bombshell: The new Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Ultra-Complication Universelle (RD#4) is the absolute crowning glory of this year’s new releases. This breathtaking watch has 40 different functions, 23 of which are complications. These include: Grande Sonnerie Supersonnerie, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, flyback chronograph, split-seconds chronograph and a flying tourbillon.
That’s spectacular in itself, but the concept behind the Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4 goes much further – the focus was on the idea of an ultra-complex watch that is nevertheless also very practical in everyday life. The watch should be easy to read and easy to use. Therefore, development began with the design of the dial. The main requirement was to be able to read all functions on it. And so the designers and engineers at AP first designed various dial layouts to integrate the various functions.
Another new feature in the Code 11.59 range is that this watch is now finally available in stainless steel. Of the six new standard models, four are made of stainless steel or a combination of stainless steel and ceramic. Thanks to the new materials, the automatic and chronograph automatic are more affordable, but that doesn’t make them any less impressive. The striking dials of these new versions were created in collaboration with the Swiss guillocheur Yann von Kaenel. The fact that the characteristic – but also controversial – numerals have been omitted here definitely helps the look of the watches. At EUR 25,200 for the automatic with time and date display and EUR 34,800 for the chronograph automatic, these new watches are in the lower price segment of Audemars Piguet.
The Code 11.59 collection impresses with its design and technology
But that’s not all the news about this famous series, because Audemars Piguet also presented three different new versions of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie. They all consist of a combination of white, rose or yellow gold with a black ceramic case middle and skeleton dials. The models are equipped with a Grande Sonnerie striking mechanism that automatically strikes the quarter hour every 15 minutes and the hour every full hour. Instead of the typical two-bell system, the Carillon has three bells to produce a low, a medium and a high tone – and thus offers even more brilliant sound quality.
The very last new model in the Code 11.59 collection is the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Flying Tourbillon Automatic with its bright green enamelled aventurine dial. In addition to a rose gold and black ceramic case, this watch features a flying tourbillon that can be admired in the lower half of the dial. The dial is an absolute work of art, which gains even more character thanks to the unmistakable numerals, although these are of course a matter of taste. This last model shows the incredible versatility of the Code 11.59 collection and the manufacturer’s quest for perfection.